Faithfully
by AspiringDreamCatcher
Summary: When Ezra and his friends are given a mission to take down a Zygerrian slave trader, he thought things won't be a problem. But, he's wrong. When he learns he's going to be working with someone familiar, now how will things go? Can he trust her on her own or will he play hero on her? Ezra Bridger X Moreena Krai. I don't own Star Wars Rebels, Disney/Lucasfilm does.
1. Chapter 1

**Garel**

Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren were heading back to the Ghost after Sabine had said goodbye to her old friend, Ketsu Onyo.

"So," Sabine spoked, "What's up with you earlier?"

Ezra turned his head to Sabine. _Is she still weirded out from my crush thing on her?_ , thought Ezra. Ezra decided to play it cool.

"What do you mean?" asked Ezra.

"Oh, c'mon, Ezra," said Sabine, "Don't think I didn't notice."

 _Uh-oh, she's onto me,_ thought Ezra, his heart beating, _Okay, don't stress, this can be a good thing. Sabine has finally realized I have feelings for her._

"While we were finding the courier, you were nearly off into your own little world," Sabine explained.

"Oh," said Ezra, disappointed but at the same time relieved.

"So, what's bothering you?" asked Sabine.

"Don't worry about it," said Ezra.

"Ezra, you know I don't like it when people keeps secrets from me," said Sabine, her face becoming stern.

Ezra looks at Sabine for a brief second, knowing he doesn't have a choice. He took a deep breath.

"Okay," he began, "when you told me the code, 'It's a long way to Alderaan', it reminded me of someone."

"Who?" Sabine inquired.

"Moreena Krai," answered Ezra.

"Who's Moreena?" asked Sabine.

"She was a close friend of mine," answered Ezra.

"Was she your girlfriend?" teased Sabine, smirking.

"What? No!" shouted Ezra, waving his hands in front of him, "We're not _that_ close!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Sabine mused.

Ezra hadn't noticed he was blushing. Then he shooked his head.

"Look, we're just friends, okay?" Ezra insisted, then his face fell, "At least ...we were."

Sabine lifted her eyebrows and stares at her for a few seconds. Something about those last words bothered her.

"What do you mean?" asked Sabine, "What happened between you two?"

Ezra continued to be silent for the next half minute. Finally, he was ready to talk.

"Before I met you and the others," Ezra began to explain, "Moreena and I were friends when we were little. We sometimes like to race through the fields together. She was very well aware of my pickpocketing skills. Sometimes she tends to worry too much about me getting into trouble."

"Sounds like you two were pretty close," commented Sabine.

"We were," replied Ezra, smiling softly, "Until one day she moved to Alderaan."

"What happened?" asked Sabine.

"The Empire took away her family's farm for mining operations," Ezra continued, "So they ended up having to move in with her grandmother. She was so sad having to leave Lothal. She even offered me to come live with them."

"But you didn't," inquired Sabine.

Ezra nodded.

"I told her I wasn't planning on leaving" he continued, "So I watched her board that ship and I watched that ship into the sky. I've never seen her ever since."

"That's so sad," commented Sabine.

"She was my only friend since…" Ezra's voice trailed off.

"Since your parents were taken." Sabine finished for him.

Ezra looked up at Sabine but didn't answer. He didn't need to, it was obvious. He glanced back down.

"Do you miss her?" asked Sabine.

Ezra didn't hear her question for he was now thinking of Moreena again. About the day he last saw her. _Well, then. I guess this is goodbye. Take care, Ezra._ He had watched Moreena board on that ship and watched it float into the sky, never to be seen again. Yes, he does miss her, but it didn't matter to him for he used to believe that people always leave him.

 _Ezra._

 _Ezra._

"Ezra!"

Ezra snapped out of his thoughts and found himself back in the hallways with Sabine. Sabine was standing there, waiting for an answer.

"Do you?"

"Huh?" said Ezra.

"Do you miss Moreena Krai?" Sabine asked for the final time.

Ezra was silent for a moment and shook his head slightly as his face turned grim.

"It doesn't matter," said Ezra, "She's probably forgotten about me already."

And with that, Ezra continued walking ahead leaving Sabine behind. Sabine watched Ezra go with concern before following behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Deep in outer space, inside the Liberator, Ezra and the Ghost crew stood at the command center along with Commander Sato and Captain Rex. At the center of the hologram projection stood two figures. One figure stood Ahsoka Tano and the other a Twi'lek male.

"The Empire had came and taken our daughters," said the Twi'lek, "Please, I need your help."

"Do you have any idea where they could've taken them?" asked Kanan.

"All I know is that when Agent Kallus arrived he was accompanied by a Zygerrian Male named Severo Carnage," explained the Twi'lek.

Both Kanan and Captain Rex grimaced at the sound of the name.

"Don't worry," assured Ahsoka, "We'll get your daughters back."

"Thank you," said the Twi'lek, then the hologram of him disappeared.

"Who's Severo Carnage?" asked Ezra.

"Baron Severo Carnage," began Rex, as he pulls an image of said Zygerrian, who has a hulky build, brown hair and golden eyes. He didn't look any older than Zeb. "Is one of the most notorious slave traders across the galaxy. A member of the Zygerrian Slaver Guild.

"After the fall of the queen, Carnage left the Guild and started his own enterprise on Stobar," continued Rex, "He runs a place that features slave dancers, mainly females. Organized, intelligent, but also brutally dangerous. And apparently, he has a thing for underage girls."

"We need find out where he's keeping them," said Kanan.

"Well, we can't send Sabine infiltrate the facility," said Hera, "She's an adult now."

"Guilty," agreed Sabine.

"I know someone who can help," said Ahsoka, "I'll have her send to you immediately."

"The sooner, the better," said Kanan.

The hologram of Ahsoka Tano disappeared. Two rotations later, the Ghost crew are waiting patiently at the command center for their spy to arrive. Then the communication speakers beeped. Hera pressed the button.

"General Hera, your spy has arrived," said a voice.

"Very good," replied Hera, "I'll have someone to go get her."

"Ezra and I will get her," said Kanan, turning his head to the boy.

Ezra replied with a nod and followed Kanan out of the command center. As they were heading to the docking ring, Ezra glanced over to Kanan.

"So what is this about the Zygerrian Slave Empire?" asked Ezra.

Kanan looked over to Ezra with his eyebrows lifted, then he speaks.

"The Zygerrians are infamous for their slave trading for centuries," Kanan explained, " Including during the clone wars. They do this for profit."

"I'm guessing the Jedi Order had dealt with them?" guessed Ezra.

"Yes, the Jedi Order had destroyed their empire back in the days where they fought the Zygerrians,"continued Kanan, "But nevertheless, they still maintain their slave-trading enterprise despite the fact that slavery was made illegal during the Republic era."

"How relentless are they?" commented Ezra

"Extremely," answered Kanan, "Now, thanks to the Empire, Carnage and his people are able to traffic slaves freely."

"They're letting letting them sell people like properties?" said Ezra, scowling, "I can't believe they would let them get away with it! It's just not fair!"

"The jedis didn't let them get away with it before," said Kanan, "And we're not letting them get away with it. Not if we can help it."

Ezra smile in response.

"With our spy's help, I know we'll prevent this from happening," Kanan added.

When they finally reached the docking ring, the door slid open. Ezra's eyes widened when he saw their spy. She is about the same age as he is, has short red hair, fair skin and cerulean eyes. She was wearing brown overalls and a green shirt. Ezra kept staring at the girl with questions buzzing around in his head. No way, he thought, Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

"Welcome," greeted Kanan.

"Hello, my name is Moreena Krai," the girl greeted back, "Commander Tano sent me."

When the girl named Moreena Krai glanced over to Ezra, she too fell silent. Both teenagers stared at each other for what felt like forever. Kanan just stood there, glancing from one teenager to the other then back again, having no idea what is going on.

"Moreena?" Ezra finally spoke.

"Ezra?" Moreena responded.

"Well, this is awkward," Kanan mumbled.


	3. Chapter 3

**May the Fourth be with you all! Enjoy Chapter Three.**

Chapter Three

Ezra and Moreena stared at each other for a long time while Kanan stood there watching the two teenagers, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, without warning, the two teenagers let out a yell of ecstacy (which caused Kanan to jump) and jumped into each others' arms. As they hug each other, Kanan stood there, only this time, his mouth is moving wordlessly and his eyebrows are scrunched together. Then the two teenagers broke away from each other.

"What are you doing here!?" they both beamed, grinning from ear to ear, "What am I doing here!? What are you doing here!?"

"I thought you've gone to Alderaan," said Ezra.

"What happened to you?" asked Moreena, as she reached out for the scars that are on Ezra's cheek.

"It's just so good to see you!" they beamed, hugging each other once again.

"Okay, hold it! Hold it!" piped Kanan, waving his hands in the air, "What's going here? Did I miss something?"

Ezra and Moreena stopped what they're doing and turned to Kanan.

"Kanan, this is Moreena," Ezra introduced the girl, "She was my good friend back when we were both living on Lothal."

"Ah," said Kanan.

"Mo," Ezra turned his head to Moreena, "This is Kanan Jarrus, my master."

"Master?" Moreena raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long story," said Ezra.

"Which you can tell later after the meeting," said Kanan.

"Oh, yes, right," Moreena then composed herself, "Commander Tano has assigned me to this mission: The kidnapped Twi'leks." Ezra's eyes widened when she said that.

"So you're the spy we'll be working with," inquired Kanan.

"That's right," answered Moreena, nodding her head.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Moreena," greeted Kanan as he extends his hand to Moreena.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kanan," greeted Moreena as she shakes his hand.

"Now, let's head back to the command center." said Kanan, as he turns away.

"C'mon," said Ezra, as he takes Moreena's hand, "I can't wait to introduce to you to the others."

Kanan, Ezra and Moreena made it back to the command center. Hera, Sabine and Zeb turned their heads to where they came in. Then they walked up to them.

"Well, well, who's this young lady?" asked Hera, kindly.

"Can I introduce Moreena?" Ezra whispered to Kanan.

"I don't see why not," answered Kanan.

Ezra grins and stepped up to the Ghost crew.

"I trust this girl is our spy?" assumed Zeb.

"Yes," answered Ezra, grinning, "This is Moreena Krai, my good friend from childhood."

Ezra turned around to Moreena.

"Moreena, this is Hera Syndulla, our pilot…"

"Nice to meet you," greeted Hera, shaking Moreena's hand.

"It's a pleasure," replied Moreena, kindly.

"Zeb, our strong guy…"

"How's it going?" greeted Zeb, shaking her hand.

"I'm fine, thank you," answered Moreena.

"Sabine Wren, the artist and explosive expert…"

"Hi there," greeted Sabine, shaking Moreena's hand, smiling.

"Hello," greeted Moreena.

"And finally," continued Ezra, "Our trusty yet grumpy droid, Chopper."

"Beep beep boop." greeted Chopper.

"He doesn't seem like a grumpy droid to me," giggled Moreena, squatting down and shakes Chopper's little arm, "Nice to meet you, Chopper."

"Trust me," replied Ezra, bluntly, "Once you get to know him a little better, you'll see what I mean."

"So how long have you two known each other?" inquired Hera.

"We've been friends when we were little," explained Moreena, standing right back up, "Before I ended up moving to Alderaan."

"Because the Empire took away your home," said Sabine, softly.

"Yes," replied Moreena, but then she frowns, "Wait, how did you know?"

"Ezra had told me a lot about you," answered Sabine, frankly.

"Oh?" Moreena glanced to Ezra with a side smile and a raised eyebrow. Ezra slightly blushed.

"Are you sure you two weren't boyfriend and girlfriend?" teased Zeb, smirking.

Ezra and Moreena shot their eyes at Zeb and blushed like crazy.

"No!" they both yelled, waving their hands in front of them. Other people turned their heads to the scene.

"We're just friends, that's all!" yelled Ezra.

"Yeah!" agreed Moreena, "That would be weird dating your best friend!"

"Uh, Zeb," Sabine chimed in, "I kind of already teased Ezra about it."

"Without me!?" whined Zeb.

"Okay, people!" Kanan raised his voice, "Can we please focus on the mission?"

"Of course," acknowledged Hera.

Everyone settled down as Hera walked over to the hologram projector.

"Alright, Moreena," Hera began, "You understand that our mission is to rescue the kidnapped Twi'lek girls, correct?"

"I understand," acknowledged Moreena with a serious face.

Hera pressed a button where an image of the Zygerrian baron appeared on view.

"So far we know that Severo Carnage has the girls," informed Hera, "All we need to find out is where is he keeping them in that facility."

"What do I need to do?" asked Moreena.

Hera pressed another button. The image of Carnage disappeared and was replaced by an image of the building.

"We need you to sneak inside the facility posing as a slave girl," ordered Hera, "While there you need to sneak in his office and download the information of the girls' whereabouts."

"Once this is done, You are to contact us and we will come get you," Hera finished.

"How will I get insdie?" asked Moreena.

"As I've said you'll pose as a slave girl," answered Hera, "Nevertheless, a slave got to have a master."

"We could contact Hondo Ohnaka and see if he could help," suggested Sabine.

Kanan and Hera exchanged glances, then back at Sabine.

"It's better than asking Vizago," murmured Kanan,"Alright, we'll have Hondo to pretend as Moreena's master,that way he'll sell her to Carnage so that she can retrieve the information. Ezra and I will tag along as Hondo's bodyguards. After he 'sells' you to Carnage, we'll stick around to make sure everything goes according to plan"

"Do you understand what to do?" Hera asked Moreena.

"Crystal," answered Moreena, confidently. Ezra bit his lips when Moreena answered.

"Then it's settled," confirmed Kanan, "I'll contact Hondo right away. We'll leave in an hour."

The image of the building went off and lights came back on. Kanan turned his head and saw Ezra seemingly in his own world.

"Are you okay, Ezra?" asked Kanan, "You've been awfully quiet this whole time."

"Huh? Oh yes I'm fine," Ezra answered then he walked over to Moreena.

"Hey, Moreena," Ezra said to Moreena, smiling, "Since we have an hour, we have plenty of time to catch up."

"Oh, right," agreed Moreena, smiling back, "I've got a lot to tell you about after I've left Lothal."

"Oh, believe me, I have way more things to tell you about," said Ezra as he grabs her hand, "C'mon, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

Ezra leads Moreena out of the command center. The Ghost crew watched the pair leave the room.

"Well, Ezra seemed happy to see his girlfriend again," teased Zeb, grinning.

"Zeb, stop teasing the boy," snapped Hera," Just because his friend is a girl that doesn't mean that they're a couple."

"Although, he's right about one thing," said Kanan. Zeb and Hera turned to Kanan, "I've never seen Ezra this happy before."

"That's because he thought he was never going to see her again," answered Sabine, smiling softly.

Inside the Ghost, Ezra told Moreena what he's been doing after she left. He told her how he met the Ghost crew and how he found out that he is a jedi. Moreena thought the jedis were extinct. Ezra explained that there are a small number of jedis still living, including himself, Kanan and Ahsoka Tano. He pulled out his lightsaber, showed it to Moreena and explained how he got it. He also tells her about the force.

Ezra told Moreena all of his adventures from beginning all the way to the end. Including how he saved the Wookies from certain death. The time when he and Zeb stole a TIE fighter from the Empire. His encounters with Inquisitors (which Ezra explained to Moreena that they're jedi hunters). Moreena laughed at the part where Ezra was nearly squished by a puffer pig. How he was almost killed by a powerful sith; Moreena gasped and covered her mouth with both hands at that part. Lastly, when he met and aided the princess of Alderaan. Moreena listened to every word he said, completely wide-eyed and her mouth was gapped open.

"Wow!" exclaimed Moreena, her mouth stretching wide, "That is so awesome!"

"I knew you'd be amazed," said Ezra, smiling confidently.

"So you really have been busy kicking those stormtroopers off Lothal," said Moreena.

"Well, I wasn't alone on that," said Ezra.

"Looks like you have the fun part of the Rebellion," sighed Moreena.

"Oh, really? What's your part?" inquired Ezra, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm a nurse in the medical team," answered Moreena.

"Oh, cool," commented Ezra.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Moreena, waving a hand in the air.

"What? Don't be so modest," protested Ezra, "You guys are just as important as anything else. I mean, what would we do if somebody got hurt and there is no one to take care of them?"

"That's so sweet of you, Ezra," said Moreena, leaning against the table and rested her cheek on her fist, gently smiling.

"So, anyway, what have you been doing?" asked Ezra, "What was Alderaan like?"

Moreena leans back and glides her hands down to her knees.

"Alderaan is the most beautiful planet I've ever seen," explained Moreena, "There were mountains and trees, And the city was clean as ever. After my family and I settled in with Grandma, she's been nagging me and my sister to be proper ladies. She even got us to wear dresses!"

"She did?" laughed Ezra.

"Uh-huh," Moreena continued, "Those heels were pinching my toes!"

"Oh. c'mon, Moreena, I'll bet you've looked purty in that dress," chuckled Ezra.

Moreena scowled at Ezra, causing him to stop laughing.

"Anyway, sounds like you had a nice time there," said Ezra, his smile slightly altered.

Moreena was quiet for a moment with her bottom lip folded underneath her upper lip.

"Well…" Moreena finally spoke, "Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"I mean, Alderaan is beautiful," Moreena continued to explain. Then her eyes fell to the floor and the corner of her lips curved down. "But it's not home. I miss Lothal. I've tried to go back there."

"How?"

"I ran away," Moreena simply answered.

Ezra's eyes widened when Moreena said that.

"You ran away!?" repeated Ezra.

"Well at least I've tried to run away," continued Moreena, "Until my dad found me at the spaceport, just as I was about to board the star shuttle. After he brought me home, I was grounded for a month."

"the girl who ran away, gets caught and grounded," smirked Ezra, "Now that doesn't sound like the good girl I know."

"Hey, I'm not always a good girl," protested Moreena, her eyebrows knitted down, " I can be rebellious...at times."

"Speaking of which, how did join the Rebellion?" asked Ezra.

"I ran into a rebel on my way to school," explained Moreena, "Out of curiosity, I followed him. He explained to me that they're fighting against the Empire. That's when I've decided to join."

"But, wait," interrupted Ezra, "Does your parents know that you've joined?"

"Of course," answered Moreena, "Although, they were reluctant at first, but I was able to convince them to let me fight against the Empire."

"That's great, it's just that I'm surprised that they let you," explained Ezra, "I mean, you do realize that you've entered a dangerous war."

"I'm aware," said Moreena, "But I still want to help. I can take care of myself. Besides I'm a nurse, hardly anything bad happens to a nurse."

"Okay," said Ezra, grinning.

Then there was silence. Moreena's smile disappeares; Ezra noticed this. Was it something I've said, thought Ezra.

"What's wrong?" asked Ezra.

"Ezra, I don't mean to pry or be insensitive," said Moreena, "but did you ever find your parents?"

Ezra pursed his lips when Moreena asked him that question. Then he looked away from her to the floor and bit his lips. His fingers clenched to his knees. He hasn't talked about his parents after he learned about their fate. Moreena panicked when she saw Ezra like that.

"I-I'm sorry," stuttered Moreena, " I knew this is wrong to ask. Just… nevermind, you don't have to answer."

"No, it's okay," Ezra spoke up, "You're my friend, you deserve to know."

Moreena scooted closer to Ezra and squeezed her hands together.

"What happened to them?" Moreena asked softly.

Ezra took a deep breath.

"Once I had another vision," he began to explain, "I saw my parents, I thought, just maybe, they may still be alive. When we found out there was a prisoner recently escaped, I figured maybe he may know what happened to them. But when we found him, he told me something terrible happened to them."

"What happened?" asked Moreena.

"They died," choked Ezra.

Moreena gasped, horrified and her hands nearly covered her mouth.

"They've died during a prison break," Ezra swallowed a lump that was in his throat, "They were inspired by my message to break free from prison. But as they were getting everyone out safely, they've been killed."

"Ezra… I'm so sorry," Moreena said gently as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'd never actually thought they'd be…" he stopped talking.

Tears streamed down his face. Moreena leaned in and hugged Ezra. Ezra hugged her back and buried his face into her shoulder, quietly sobbing. Moreena rested her chin on his shoulder as she gently rubbed his back. Ezra kept sobbing until he couldn't sob anymore. Then he pulled away from her. Moreena held his hand; it felt warm upon his palm.

"Kanan…" sniffed Ezra, wiping the tears away from his eyes, "He told me that even though they're gone, they'll always be with me."

Moreena softly smiled at him. Ezra reached into his pocket, pulled out a chip and plugged it onto the table. A hologram of his parents appeared.

"I have this to remember them," he said, "Sabine found it and gave it to me."

"That was very sweet of her," commented Moreena, she reached out her free hand and gently turned his face to hers. "Ezra, as heartbroken as I am about what happened to your parents, I'm happy that you've found people like Kanan, Hera, Sabine Zeb and especially Chopper. That you've found a family again."

Ezra smiled at Moreena and gently stroke her cheek.

"Thanks, Mo," said Ezra, soflty.

They smiled at each other for a long time. Suddenly, Kanan and the crew walked in. Ezra and Moreena pulled away from each other (Ezra grabbed the chip and jammed it in his pocket) and pretended as if it never happened, their faces completely red.

"Alright, you two, time to go," announced Kanan when he glanced over to the teenagers, "I've talked to Hondo, and he agreed So we should be good to-Huh? Are you two alright?"

"Yes, we're fine!" they quickly responded.

"So, what have two been doing?" teased Zeb.

"All we did was talk, okay?" said Ezra.

"Sure you have," smirked Zeb, "You sure you kids weren't making out?"

"ZEB!" they screamed, their faces turning even more red.

"That's enough, Zeb!" snapped Hera, "Leave these kids alone!"

"Oh, c'mon, I was just playing," said Zeb, shrugging his arms.

"Zeb, why don't you come with us to the cockpit," said Kanan.

"Alright," said Zeb, "Whatever you say."

Zeb followed Kanan and Hera to the cockpit. Chopper tagged along with them, singing "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song as he passed by Ezra and Moreena. Moreena gets up and starts to go with Sabine. But before she does, Ezra grabbed her wrist. She turned her head and looked at him; Ezra stood up.

"What is it?" asked Moreena.

"Moreena, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Ezra, "I mean, it's not too late to turn back."

"Ezra," Moreena began, turning to him, "I can't do that. I've made a commitment to this mission. I can do this, Ezra. Don't you trust me?"

Ezra was quiet for a moment; then he nodded. Moreena hugged Ezra.

"I'll be fine," assured Moreena, smiling.

"She's right," Sabine stepped in, "Besides, Kanan and Rex will right with her."

"Okay," replied Ezra.

"C'mon," Sabine said to Moreena, "Let's get you in disguise."

Moreena followed Sabine out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Ezra is all alone. He stood there staring Moreena went with his face slackened and his brow burrowed.

"Just be careful," he murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Havoc Outpost

Ezra and Kanan were waiting outside for Hondo Ohnaka to arrive, already in disguises. Ezra was dressed in olive green shirt, grayish brown pants, brown jacket, gray laser-proof vest, black gloves, silver shin guards and gauntlets, brown holster and dark brown boots. He was holding his helmet under his arm. Kanan was dressed in navy blue pants, white tunic, light brown vest, a belt that holds his blaster, a brown poncho, a wide-brimmed hat an eyepatch.

"I feel silly in this outfit," Ezra complained, tugging at his collar.

"We're pretending to be Hondo's thugs," Kanan reminded Ezra, "We're supposed to dress like this, not senators."

"Okay, okay," sighed Ezra, leaning against the Ghost.

Kanan turned his head back outside and continued to search for Hondo. Suddenly, he saw a familiar Weequay pirate. When the Weequay saw Kanan, he smiled and waved to him. Here's Hondo, thought Kanan, as he motioned his hand for Hondo to come to him. Hondo hurried over to Kanan.

"Hello, friends," greeted Hondo, spreading his arms wide like wings, "Hondo Ohnaka at your service! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kanan slapped his hand onto his face and grunted. Hondo lowered his arms and looked at him confused.

"I've told you before," reminded an irritated Kanan, "We need you to pretend to be Moreena;s slave owner so you can take her to Carnage to sell her off."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, right," said Hondo, finally remembering, "Well, lucky for you, I happened to know Carnage personally. We're such good friends."

"You told us that already," Kanan reminded him again.

"Did I?" Wondered Hondo, "So anyway, where is this Moreena girl?"

"She's in Sabine's room, getting in disguise," answered Ezra.

"She's gonna be awhile," said Kanan, making his way to the ladder, "We'll wait for her in the break room."

Kanan climbed up the ladder and onto the balcony. Ezra and Hondo followed up behind him. Meanwhile in Sabine's cabin, Sabine is putting makeup on Moreena. Unfortunately, whenever the mascara brush comes close to her eyes, Moreena blinks.

"Stop blinking!" Snapped Sabine, bringing the brush up to Moreena's eyelash. Moreena blinked again.

"Here, go like this," said Sabine, as she rolled her eyes upward, showing nothing but whiteness.

Moreena mimicked her as she did the same thing with her eyes. Sabine continued to brush mascara onto Moreena's eyelashes, this time more freely. When she's done she set the mascara aside, grabbed a powder brush and started to brush powder on Moreena's cheek.

"That was sweet of you, when you gave him that chip to Ezra," said Moreena, "The one that has him with his parents when he was little."

Sabine paused when she said that. Then she smiled and continued to put blush on Moreena's face.

"When I found it, I knew this must be important to him because he missed his parents dearly," explained Sabine, "Ezra missed you dearly too, you know."

"He does?" Said Moreena, eyes widening a little.

"Oh, yes," Sabine continued, "In fact, he thought you might've forgotten him."

"What!? No way!" Exclaimed Moreena, " I would never forget him! After I've left Lothal, I've thought about him non-stop, worried because he was all alone. My parents told me that it's not healthy to worry about Ezra all the time, but no matter how hard I've tried to focus on something else, he's always on my mind. Is is unhealthy to worry about someone you care about all the time?"

"Well, worrying too much can cause wrinkles, weight gain and hair loss," answered Sabine.

Moreena gasped and pinched her own stomach to see if she had grown some fat. Then she frantically combed her hair with her fingers. Sabine laughed at the sight.

"Calm down, Mo," chuckled Sabine, grabbing Moreena's hands and placed them down, "You're not fat or bald, you're beautiful."

"Oh, thank you," Moreena sighed with relief.

"Anyway, that doesn't mean that you should stop caring about him," Sabine continued, "You just got to have faith in him, he can take care of himself. Besides, he's got us."

"Yes," agreed Moreena, softly smiling, "When I saw him again, I now know that he's alright and that he wasn't alone anymore. That's he's with people like you and the crew. I'm so happy for him."

"Well, we're more than just a crew," said Sabine, "We're family."

"I'm glad to hear that," Moreena spoke softly.

Sabine placed the powder brush aside and grabbed both a lipstick and lipgloss. First she pulled out the lipstick, the soft-colored pink stick of wax rolled out.

"Go like this," said Sabine, slightly opening her mouth, forming a little "o".

Moreena did the same thing with her lips. Sabine put lipstick on Moreena's lips with ease. Then she pulled out a clear pink lipgloss and dabbed it over the lipstick, coating it. When Sabine is done, Moreena rubbed her lips together, blending them in. Sabine placed the makeup aside, grabbed a hairbrush and began to brush Moreena's hair.

"Yeah, Kanan has been not just a good teacher to Ezra," explained Sabine, "He's been a good father figure to him too. Hera has been a motherly figure to him as well. In fact, she's like a mother to all of us. Zeb didn't like him at first, but shortly after Ezra joined, they've became best friends. As for Chopper, he may be a pain in the butt at times, but's he's very loyal to all of us, including Ezra."

"What about you?" Asked Moreena.

"Me? He's a pretty good friend, despite the fact that he likes to hit on me," Sabine continued, "To be honest, he's more like a little brother to me."

"Oh? Are you sure you don't feel the same way towards him?" Asked Moreena, twiddling with her fingers.

"Yeah, I'm sure," replied Sabine, "Besides, I'm pretty sure he has his heart set on someone else."

"Really? Who?" Inquired Moreena, raising her eyebrows.

"You seriously don't know?" Chuckled Sabine.

Moreena was confued at first, then she thought for a moment. When she realized who Sabine was talking about, she gasped and blushed.

"No, no, no!" Denied Moreena, shaking her head and waving her hands in crosses rapidly, "We've told you! We're just friends! Nothing more, nothing less!"

"But it's the truth," Sabine compelled, "I mean, why else would you worry about Ezra all the time or why would you two be so ecstatic to be back together again?"

"I don't know! That's what friends do, right?" Bawled Moreena, "I mean you guys would've done the same thing if the crew got separated for so long and then back together again!"

"Yeah, but not in a lovey-dovey manner," said Sabine, "Face it, deep down inside the two of you, you have feelings for each other."

Moreena thought about what Sabine just said for a moment. Is she right? She thought, Could Ezra have feelings for me? Could I have feelings for him? No if he does have feelings for me, he would've said something in the first place, right? And if I have feelings for him, don't you think I would've done the same thing too? Moreena shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Ezra and I are just friends. Period." Moreena snorted, "End of story."

"Pff! Whatever," huffed Sabine, defeated, "But you'll never know that one of these days you'll realize that I was right about you and Ezra."

Sabine placed the hairbrush down, grabbed a tiara and placed it on Moreena's hair.

"There, you're ready," said Sabine, grinning at her success, "Let's go show you to the others."

Moreena followed behind Sabine out of the cabin. Ezra, Kanan and Hondo are all waiting in the break room. Hera, Zeb and Chopper are also there. While the crew had to put up with Hondo's ranting, Ezra is standing in a corner by himself, thinking to himself.

Of all the girls in the rebellion, thought Ezra, Why did it have to be Moreena? Does she know what she's getting herself into? Does she realized how dangerous this mission is? Carnage is extremely ruthless, he could kill her if he finds out. And let's not forget the fact that he likes to prey on young girls. Ezra winced at those thoughts, But I guess on the bright side, at least Kanan and I will stick around to make sure nothing goes wrong. Then he clenched his fist, But I swear, if Carnage ever dares to touch her, I'll…, Suddenly Ezra snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door opened. He turned his head and saw Sabine come out. Everyone turned their heads to Sabine when she came.

"Hondo," Sabine announced, grinning, "May I present Moreena Krai, your 'slave girl'."

Sabine stepped aside and Moreena 's eyes widened when he saw her. Moreena is dressed in a silky clothing. Cropped tube top with golden arm cuffs. Loose fitting pants with slits that reveals her long thin legs with golden waistline line and ankle cuffs. She was also wearing golden necklace and tiara with blue jewels. The color of her clothing and slippers matched perfectly with her blue eyes. Makeup enhanced her beauty; eyeshadow made her eyes stand out. Her glossy lips was as pink as the color on a sunset. Ezra kept staring at her.

"What do you guys think?" Moreena sheepishly asked.

"You look fantastic!" Complimented Hondo.

"Like every crime lord's ideal slave girl," Kanan answered politely.

"Aren't you the prettiest slave girl I've ever seen," said Hera.

"Wow, you did a pretty good job, Sabine," said Zeb.

"Thanks," replied Sabine, "It took a long time with the makeup, but the results are worth it."

"Beep Beep Be-eep Bloop," said Chopper, waving his "hand" down (translation: Meh, she's alright.).

"You look beautiful, Mo," said Ezra, mesmerized.

Everyone turned their heads to Ezra when he spoke. Moreena also looked up to Ezra and slightly blushed.

"Um...thanks," acknowledged Moreena, "You...uh...really think so?"

"Uh-huh," answered Ezra.

Moreena couldn't help but smile when he said that. When Zeb saw this, he decided to take the opportunity.

"You know, Ezra," snickered Zeb, "If you stare at her for too long, your eyes will burn right through her clothes."

"My what will do what!?" Ezra yelped, snapping out of it.

Ezra both jumped and blushed like crazy when he said that. Both Zeb and Chopper laughed at the scene. Ezra turned his head towards them and scowled. Chopper pointed out that Ezra is blushing. Ezra growled, jammed his helmet onto his head and stormed off to the other side of the room. Moreena couldn't help but quietly giggle about it. Hera crept up behind Zeb and Chopper and smacked them upside the head.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Hera, Kanan, and Sabine all snapped at them.

"Okay! Okay! I'm done! I'm done!" Wailed Zeb, waving his hands in front of him, "This is the last time! I promise! No more!"

Hera, Kanan, and Sabine continued to scowl at him. Zeb raised his right hand and crossed his heart with his other hand.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," promised Zeb.

Chopper snickered at Zeb's misfortune. Hera turned her head to the droid.

"You too, Chopper," snapped Hera, "Enough!"

"Beep-beep, beep-beep," grumbled Chopper (translation: Okay, okay.).

"So you two are not a couple?" Whispered Hondo, leaning over to Ezra.

Ezra shot a glare at Hondo, causing him to jump back. I'll take that as a no, thought Hondo.

"Oh. I was just wondering," explained Hondo, "Because if you are, you've done a much better job than I have."

"Huh?" Ezra was curious.

"My last lady friend, she was kind of crazy," He continued, twirling his finger in a little circle next to his head, "Sometimes finding the right partner takes a long time, but you might just be lucky when you realize that the right one might just be your red-head friend."

Ezra glanced over to Moreena, who is watching the scolding group. Could he be right? Ezra wondered.

"Back to more important matter," said an annoyed Kanan.

Kanan and Hondo walked up to Moreena; Moreena looked up to the two men.

"Moreena, this is Hondo Ohnaka," Kanan introduced the Weequay, "He's going to pretend to be your owner."

"Nice to meet you, dearie," greeted Hondo, bowing to the young lady.

"Hello," greeted Moreena.

Sabine walked up to Moreena and handed her a pair of golden earrings. Moreena put them on her ears.

"These earrings has a built in transmitter," explained Sabine, "With these, you can send us any information regarding the Twi'leks."

"Okay, now that we have all our actors," said Kanan, "Let's get this show on the road."

Hera heads up to the cockpit; Everyone followed her there. When she got there, she gets the engine running and took the Ghost high into the sky until its outside of the atmosphere. Once the ship is in outer space, half of people exits the cockpit. Now it's just Kanan, Ezra, Hondo and Moreena there. Hondo turns on the transmitter and a hologram of Severo Carnage appeared. Although Hondo greets him with a smile, Carnage scowled at him in return.

"Greetings, friend," greeted Hondo.

"What do you want Hondo?" Scoffed Carnage, crossing his arms.

"Now, what's with the attitude, Carny? Anyway, I got something you might like," said Hondo.

"Oh? And what makes you think I'd be interested?" Asked Carnage.

"I have a lovely slave girl that you might like to add to your 'collection'," said Hondo.

"You have a slave girl?" Inquired the unamused Zygerrian.

"Oh, yes, I won her at a game of Sabaac," Hondo lied, But then I thought she'd be better off with you."

"Why would I want to take her?" Asked Carnage.

Hondo reached out, grabbed Moreena by the arm and pulled her in front of him. When Carnage saw her, his eyebrows lifted. Then he took his time examining the girl. Ezra glared at the Zygerrian as he checks Moreena out. The Zygerrian looked back at Hondo.

"Because she is much to your preference," explained Hondo, "Trust me, you're going to love her. She is one of the finest in the galaxy."

Carnage was quiet for a moment. Come on, thought Kanan, Take the bait. Finally Carnage spoke.

"Bring the girl to Stoba," said Carnage, "And we'll talk."

The hologram of Carnage disappeared. Ezra's heart sank when Carnage asked for Moreena. Hera and the others came back in.

"What happened?" Asked Hera, "What did Carnage say?"

"Did he take the bait?" Asked Zeb.

"Almost," answered Kanan, "We just need to get him to take her."

"He told me to bring Miss Krai to Stoba," explained Hondo.

"Then to Stoba we go!" Announced Hera.

Hera takes the pilot seat, punched in the coordinates and starts the hyperdrive. Ezra glanced over to Moreena. Mo, I'm going to protect you at all cost, thought Ezra, whether you want me to or not. The Ghost then jumped into hyperspace.

 **See you at the next chapter! Get ready, folks, because there's a certain character from the clone wars that's gonna be in the next chapter. So stay tuned.**

 **P.S. If you'd like to see Moreena's slave girl outfit, go to my deviantart profile art gallery and look for "Moreena Krai as a Slave Girl".**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Boeus System

The Ghost emerged out of hyperspace and flies towards the dark, shadowy planet.

"Welcome to Stobar," Hera hollowly announced, "A planet full of criminals."

Hera descends the ship down through the atmosphere and lands it at the docking bay on the planet. After the crew wished them good luck, Kanan, Ezra, Moreena and Hondo piled out of the Ghost. Moreena was wearing a cloak and a chain from her collar that's being dragged by Hondo. They've walked for what seems like forever. Kanan grunted and sped up towards Hondo.

"Hondo, we've been walking for hours," scolded Kanan, "Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Sure, I do," Hondo answered, relaxed, "I've been to his place many times."

Kanan stared at him in disgust.

"Hey, I may be old," said Hondo, shrugging, "But I still like to have fun."

They continued walking. Ezra glanced over to his side and saw a couple of thugs loitering in the alley way. One of them, a Rodian, noticed Ezra staring at them and glared at him. Ezra glared back at him, but he kept walking.

"There sure are a lot of friendly faces around here," Ezra said sarcastically.

"Stobar has a notorious reputation for their high crime rate," explained Kanan, "There's always gonna be a lot of shady people here. My advice: Lay low. We don't want to attract trouble."

"There it is!" announced Hondo, pointing to a building, "The Blood Moon!"

It was a huge building that has a giant sign that's shaped like the moon, shining in blood red color. Ezra can hear noises coming from inside. As they came up to the entrance, they were stopped by a Falleen bouncer.

"I'm Hondo Ohnaka," Hondo introduced himself, "Your boss, Severo Carnage, has invited me to be here. These men are with me."

The Falleen glared at Kanan and Ezra, whose hearts are pumping fast. Then he looked back at Hondo.

"Alright," the Falleen answered in a husky voice, "Follow me."

They followed the bouncer they got inside, it was even noisier than it was outside. All the loud music booming and people yelling over each other. Ezra had already started to have a headache the minute he stepped inside. Not only was is loud in there, but it was also overcrowded in there as well, top to bottom. They had to push by to get through. Nevertheless, despite the loud noises and the overcrowdedness, the interior was rather beautiful. The walls were crimson red with golden linings, bronze columns and red satin curtains. The lights in there were crimson red as well. Above their heads hangs an enormous chandelier. As Ezra pushed through, he saw a group of young women in flashy clothes dancing on an enormous stage. Hondo glanced to the jedis.

"Severo's office is upstairs!" Hondo yelled, pointing up to the chandelier, "It's right above the chandelier!"

They followed the bouncer up the stairs through the second level(that happens to be the bar) all the way to the third level. Then they walked through a narrow hallway that sloped upwards towards the office. When they finally entered the office, Ezra glanced around the office. The wall were also crimson red with gold lining. The carpet were red with soft fabric. At one side of the room stood a table with different types of liqours. Leather sofas facing each other in curved parallels. Up at the front of the office was a huge wide window that shows the entire inside of the club. And there stood before it, a Zygerrian, gazing through the glass below.

"Boss," called the Falleen, "Ohnaka's here to see you."

Carnage turned around and saw Hondo. Then he signaled his two fingers for them to come in. The Fallen nodded, let Hondo and company in and leaves.

"Greetings, Severo!" greeted Hondo, grinning, "How are you in this fine evening?"

"Only my friends call me Severo," hissed Carnage.

"But we are friends, aren't we?" protested Hondo, still grinning.

"Where's the girl?" demanded Carnage.

"Right here," answered Hondo, grabbing Moreena by the wrist and pulled her up front, "Her name is Moreena Krai. I hope she's much to your liking."

Hondo removed her cloak and let it slide off her body to the ground. Moreena tried to cover herself with her arms, pretending to be embarrassed with herself. Carnage walked up to Moreena, now looming over her. Moreena felt her heart pounding and her body trembled before him. Carnage tipped her chin upwards to have her look at him. Than he turned her face one side then to the other. Then he began to circle around her, letting his hand slide off her face. As he slowly circled around her, his eyes carefully studied her body. When he's done, he lifted her arms and let his fingers glide across the underside of her arms. Moreena felt her stomach twisted when the Zygerrian placed his hands on her waist. Ezra clenched his fist as he watched the Zygerrian touch her. Kanan noticed this and placed his hand on his shoulder. Ezra turned his head to Kanan, who shooked his head, and continued to watch helplessly. When Carnage is finished, he glanced up to Hondo.

"Well?"

"Too scrawny," answered Carnage, waving his hand and taking a seat at his desk. Everyone was surprised when he said that.

"Look, I know that you're picky when it comes to girls," Hondo tried to persuade, "She may not have the curves or the chest, but trust me she's an excellent servant."

"Is that so?" questioned the unamused Carnage, resting his chin on top of his entwined fingers.

"You're not actually going to trust this guy, are you?" asked a voice.

Kanan's heart stopped when he heard that voice. That voice, he thought, I know that voice anywhere. His heart slowly pound against his chest as footsteps came around then stopped before Carnage. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar wide-brimmed hat, trench coat and red eyes. A Techno-service droid flew up next to his owner.

"Cad Bane," greeted Carnage, grinning, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," answered Bane, coolly.

"Oh, no," gasped Kanan.

Everyone turned and looked at Kanan, including a suspicious Cad Bane. Kanan realized he spoke out loud and he thought quickly.

"I can't believe I'm standing before The Great Cad Bane himself!" he quickly added, forcing a smile, "I've heard so much about you! In fact, you, my friend, are a legend!"

Bane stared at him for a moment. Kanan's heart is still pounding slowly against his chest and felt a sweatdrop trickling down his temple. Did he buy it? He hoped. Finally, Bane said something.

"You flatter me," Bane spoke lowly, then he turned to Carnage. "Anyway, I was able to capture the two runaways who escaped. They're downstairs 'waiting'."

"Well done, Bane," congratulated Carnage, "I'll deal with them later."

"I was about to tell you this when I came in and saw you talking with Hondo," explained Bane.

"Oh, Bane," said Hondo, about to wrap his arm around his shoulder, "Don't act like you're not happy to see me."

"Don't touch me!" growled Bane, shooting a death glare at him.

Hondo then quickly jolted back to where he was standing. Bane turned to Carnage again.

"As I was saying," he continued, "Are you really going to believe what this low life has to say?"

Well, what do you think of this girl?" asked Carnage.

"You're seriously asking for my opinion?" snorted Bane.

"I think she's a pleasant young woman," complimented the droid.

"Shut up, Todo," snapped Bane.

"I was just being polite," said Todo.

"Thank you, Todo," said Moreena.

Suddenly without warning, Hondo slapped Moreena in the face. Everyone were startled, even Cad Bane and Carnage themselves. Ezra gritted his teeth but he was able to restrain himself. Moreena looked up at the elderly Weequay, holding her cheek and tears streaming down her face.

"Did I give you permission to speak!?" yelled Hondo.

"N-no," croaked Moreena.

"You're not allowed to speak unless you're being spoken to, do you hear me!?" Hondo continued to yell.

"Y-yes, sir," whimpered Moreena.

Carnage looked up from Moreena to Hondo.

"You've trained her to behave?" questioned Carnage.

"It wasn't easy at first," explained Hondo, "But in the end, she finally learned to obey."

"Can she dance?" asked Carnage.

"Oh, yes," answered Hondo, "Moreena, dear, demonstrate."

Moreena twirled and leaped and swayed her arms. Ezra gazed at Moreena. I didn't know she can dance, thought Ezra. When she's done, she stood perfectly still.

"Very impressive," commented Carnage, "Such flexibility."

"Not bad," muttered Bane.

"What else can she do?" asked Carnage.

"Well...uh...she...can sing," Hondo added, "In fact, she has such a melodious voice."

Now that's something I know she does, Ezra thought. He remembered that sometimes whenever he had the chance to hang out with her, he would catch her humming a tune to herself.

"Really? Wait outside my office," said Carnage, "Let me think for a moment."

Hondo bowed his head and dragged Moreena out of the office. Kanan and Ezra followed them out. Bane watched them leave and turned to Carnage.

"Why the sudden change of mind?" asked Bane, raising an 'eyebrow', "I thought she's too scrawny for you."

"True," agreed Carnage, looking out the window and rubbing his chin. Then he smirked. "But she's actually pretty when she cries."

Outside on the third floor the group were waiting against the railing that reveals everything downstairs.

"Was it really necessary?" scolded Ezra, scowling.

"Huh?" Hondo was confused.

"When you slapped Moreena," he angrily reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, that! Don't fret kid," assured Hondo, I was just pretending to be her master like Kanan asked me to. Severo was losing interest in her, so I had to improvise."

"Ezra, you need to control your emotions," said Kanan sternly, "You can't help Moreena in this situation, one slip up and Carnage will know something is up."

"And besides, I didn't slap her that hard," Hondo added.

"It still hurts a little," muttered Moreena, rubbing her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, child," apologized Hondo.

"Hondo!"

They turned around and saw Carnage walking up to Hondo with Bane and Todo behind him.

"I've decided to give Miss Moreena a trial run," informed Carnage, " She shall sing on stage in front of everyone."

Moreena's eyes widened when she heard it. _O-on stage!?_ Thought Moreena, feeling her stomach drop.

"It shall be done," Hondo cheerfully agreed.

"But this better not be a waste of my time," snarled Carnage.

"I-it won't be," assured Hondo.

Downstairs, Hondo and Carnage are sitting at a table booth where they got a good view of the stage. Kanan is up at the bar on the second floor, leaning against the railing. Bane is also upstairs but leaning against the column with Todo by his side. Moreena peered around the curtains from the backstage. _S-so many p-people_ , she thought, feeling her hands going clammy and her head spinning. Moreena yelped when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder and spun around only to find Ezra standing behind her.

"You know, it's bad luck to peer through the curtains at the audience before the performance," said Ezra.

"Y-yes, I know," stammered Moreena.

Ezra noticed something about her.

"Are you okay, Mo?" he asked.

"Uh, yes," she lied. But then she decided to be honest. "Actually, I can't do this, Ezra. Not in front of this many people, especially when it's mostly men."

"But you have to," said Ezra, "The fate of the girls is on your hands."

"Yes, I know," said Moreena, "But I just can't do this."

"Hey," Ezra gently grabbed her arms with both hands, speaking softly," Don't pay attention to them. Pretend that it's just me in the room, like on Lothal. I'll be at the second floor with Kanan, okay?"

"Okay," Moreena softly spoke, nodding.

"Break a leg, Mo," said Ezra.

Moreena gasped.

"It means good luck, Moreena," chuckled Ezra.

"Oh," Moreena sighed in relief.

Ezra made his way back upstairs and leaned against the railing next to Kanan.

"Where've you been?" whispered Kanan.

"I was giving Moreena some encouragement," explained Ezra.

"For what?"

Ezra didn't answer and the lights dimmed down. Then a spotlight shined on Moreena, who is now standing before a microphone. She shakily grabbed the neck with both hands and her eyes wandered around the room. Then she swallowed and took a deep breath.

" _Born into a world of darkness_ ," she quietly sang, she paused for a minute and continued, " _Where no star to be seen_."

Moreena glanced up and saw Ezra, who's watching and nodded his head. Moreena quietly took another deep breath and continued to sing:

" _People's hearts filled with emptiness_

 _Shadow stride through our lives_

 _Swallowing up the light inside of us_

 _Taking away everything we love_

 _You may feel all is lost_

 _But it won't last forever_

 _Because I know, things will get better_

 _Because I see the light of hope_

 _Shining brighter than the stars_

 _I feel its warmful glow_

 _Lighting up our empty hearts_

 _Terror spreads faster than fire_

 _But so is our hope_

 _It will rise so much higher_

 _There are those_

 _Who want to kill the light_

 _Wanting to make us feel hopeless_

 _But I can feel hope_

 _Burning inside of me_

 _Oh, I see the light of hope_

 _Shining brighter than the stars_

 _I feel its warmful glow_

 _Lighting up our empty hearts_

 _Yes, they try to fade the light_

 _They hit us with everything they've got_

 _We may be at the end of our rope_

 _But it's not gone forever_

 _There's still hope_

 _If we shine together_

 _We can make it bright_

 _Yes, we may lose everything,_

 _But there's one thing we won't lose_

 _Yeah!_

 _I see the light of hope_

 _Shining brighter than the stars_

 _I feel its warmful glow_

 _Lighting up our empty hearts_

 _I see the light_

 _I see it, I see it_

 _Shining bright, shining brighter_

 _I feel it, I feel it_

 _Yeah! Yeah!_

 _I see the light of hope_."

The minute Moreena finished singing, the whole house broke out in applause. _I knew you can do it, Mo_ , thought Ezra, grinning and applauding. Even Cad Bane was clapping his hands. Hondo was clapping and whistling. Carnage, on the other hand, only sat there and rubbed his chin. When Hondo noticed this, he composed himself, sat back down and cleared his throat.

"So, what do you think of her now?" he sheepishly asked.

There was a long moment of silence before Carnage spoke.

"How much do you want for her?" Carnage asked.

 **SURPRISE!CAD BANE IS HERE! I was going to have two oc female bounty hunters in the story working for Carnage. But, after I've watched a few Clone Wars episodes that features Cad Bane, I forgot how cool he was. So I've decided to have him work for Carnage instead. See you at the chapter!**

 **P.S. the song "Light of Hope" is written by me, therefore I own the lyrics. Everything else is owned by Disney and Lucasfilm.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Yippee!" gleamed Hondo, happily skipping out of the club, "Seventy-five hundred credits!"

Ezra and Kanan followed him outside and continued to do so until they are at a safe distance from the club. Finally, they've caught up to him. Hondo turned around and saw them coming up to them.

"So how'd I do?" asked Hondo, grinning at the two men.

"You did wonderful," praised Kanan, "Thanks for your help, Hondo."

"Anytime, my friend. Well, buh-bye," Hondo turned around and began to leave but halted and turned to Ezra, "Oh, by the way, Ezra… take care of your little friend."

Hondo waltzed inside a diner, humming "Light of Hope" to himself. Ezra stared at where Hondo left, thinking to himself. _Could he be talking about Moreena?_ He wondered.

"C'mon, let's head back to the Ghost," said Kanan.

"Right," acknowledged Ezra, giving a slight nod. With that, they jogged back to the ship.

Meanwhile at the Blood Moon, Moreena was watching all the patrons are clearing the building from the backstage while tugging at a metal collar around her neck. She's been doing this ever since Carnage placed it around her neck after she was bought from Hondo. A Mirialan girl came up behind Moreena.

"Hello," she greeted with a kind smile.

Moreena turned her head and saw the Mirialan looked like she may be a couple of years older than her. She had light green skin, gentle violet eyes, and raven black hair cut in an asymmetrical bob. On her forehead, are a cluster of shapes formed in a heart. She was wearing golden earrings, magenta negligee-like babydoll top with golden chains and bikini bottoms. She was wearing sandals as well.

"I've watched you from the backstage," the Mirialan continued, "You've sing beautifully."

Moreena smiled.

"Thank you," she acknowledged, extending her hand, "My name's Moreena, what's yours?"

"Feyona," the Mirialan introduced herself, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Feyona," said Moreena.

"Same here," said Feyona.

Moreena glanced over and noticed a group of girls walking across to the other side of the backstage. She looked back to Feyona.

"Where is everybody going?" asked Moreena, pointing to the group of girls."

Feyona's smile faded away.

"Follow me," she hollowly said, and walked away.

 _What was that about?_ She wondered, hesitant at first but followed her anyway. When they got to the other side, they've joined a huge group standing before something. Moreena peered through the gap between women and saw what looked like a handle on the floor. The bulky Falleen lifted the handle, revealing it to be a trapdoor. It also revealed a flight of stairs down below.

The young women then climbed down the stairs in a single-file line. Moreena reluctantly followed them down the stairs at the back of the line. As she descends down the stairs, she now finds herself in a cold eerie concrete hall. The hair on her skin stood up straight and felt sick in her stomach. She leaned towards Feyona, who is in front of her.

"Where are we going?" she aksed.

"We're just going to a place to sleep," Feyona simply answered.

"But where exactly?" Moreena urged.

"The Basement," she answered.

"The Basement?" Moreena felt uncomfortable with the answer she was given.

"That's where we sleep everyday," Feyona explained, "We dance all night and sleep all 'day' in the Basement. Carnage likes to keep us down here so that we wouldn't go anywhere."

"Day? It's still pitch black outside," Moreena pointed out.

"It's always pitch black outside," Feyona continued to explain, "Day or night."

"That makes more sense," commented Moreena.

Moreena glanced and noticed a pair of Twi'leks sitting on the floor next to a large metal door. One Twi'lek had light blue skin and has her light green eyes staring down at the ground. She wore tattered crop top and fishnet leggings. She looked about her age. The other Twi'lek looked almost like hera; both in age and appearance. Only her green skin is a shade darker and has a more curvy body. All her headpiece, vest and her pants with see-through leggings were magenta. Her entire body were plated with gold. Her icy green eyes glared up at Moreena; Moreena quickly looked away. _Those must be the two girls Bane was talking about,_ thought Moreena.

"Moreena!"

Moreena and Feyona turned around and saw Carnage standing way back in the hallway.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, raising his hand for her to come.

Moreena looked back at Feyona, who gestured her head to go, and slowly walked towards Carnage. She looked up to his golden eyes when she's now standing before him; she swallowed.

"Yes, sir?" she nervously asked.

"I've come to say you've done wonderful job," praised Carnage, giving a small smile, "You have a remarkable voice. I can see how you're such an excellent slave."

"Oh! Thank you, sir," acknowledged Moreena, sighing in relief.

"However," his voice turned dark, "That doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"Huh?" Moreena felt her stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

"Hear me, child," he began to explain, "I'm a businessman and I take my enterprise very seriously. Therefore I will not tolerate any mischief. Therefore I expect good behaviors from you. If you are to serve me, you are to abide by my rules. Here's how it works: You will obey my every command. No questions, no complaints. And of course no arguments.

"All slaves are to report down to the Basement when business hours are done, he continued, "There are to be no sneaking around after lights out, no exceptions. You are not allowed in my office unless I tell you so. Mealtime are before and after hours. Showering will be twice a week. No slaves are to leave the building, **period**. You will not bother me while I'm on important meetings. And don't even think about trying to run away, because I'll have Bane come find you."

"And...kill me?" Moreena nervously stammered.

"Kill you? Of course not!" chuckled Carnage, "That would be a waste. No, he'll just simply bring you back here where you will be dealt with."

Moreena saw two Zygerrian men coming down the stairs, her eyes followed them and noticed they were making their way towards the Twi'leks. Just as they were about to grab them, the green Twi'lek lashed out at one of them and tried to make a run for it, but was stopped by another man who just came down. The older Twi'lek squirmed in his arms, kicking her legs in the air.

"No! Let go of me!" the Twi'lek shouted, still kicking the air, "Let go!"

Moreena wanted to help the hapless Twi'lek, but couldn't risk the mission. She had no choice but to stand there and watch helplessly. After a brief struggle, the men were able to successfully drag them through the metal door, closing behind them. Carnage turned her face with his large hand back towards his face.

"You will be given three strikes," he added, holding up three fingers, "If you wound up with all three strikes, the consequences will be… unfortunate."

The sound of the whip cracking was heard through the metal door along with a bloody scream. Carnage sadistically smirked at the sound. Moreena felt a mixture of dread and remorse in the pit of her stomach upon hearing those sound.

"Am I clear?" Carnage purred.

Moreena was hesitant. _You have to do this, Moreena_ , she urged herself, _Everybody's depending on you._ She swallowed down a lump in her throat and looked Carnage in the eye.

"Yes… Sir," she answered.

"Very good," Carnage's smirk grew wider and released her face, "Now go get some sleep, you'll need your rest for tonight. Sleep well."

Moreena turned and slowly walked away from the Zygerrian boss with her arms wrapped around herself. She can feel his golden eyes still watching her. Screams continues to echo throughout the hallway. Her fingers clenched around her skin as those sound fill her head, scream ringing in her ears. When she came at the other end of the hallway, she saw the Falleen bouncer standing next to another door.

"This way," grunted the Falleen, opening the door and shoved her inside.

Moreena staggered down the stairs a little, but was able to catch herself in time. She continued down the stairs into the Basement. There were no windows, nothing but walls. Against those walls were bunk beds, but barely enough for everyone. The lights were dim; piles of hay spread out across the cold concrete floor in crude cots. Moreena saw a water pump at a corner with a few bowls standing next to it.

"Here, Moreena," Feyona called out.

Moreena turned her head and saw Feyona laying on her side on the bottom bunk. She walked over to her as Feyona gets off.

"Since you're new here, you can heave my bed," Feyona offered.

"Uh...Thank you," Moreena politely said, giving a tiny yet grateful smile.

Feyona walked over to the nearest pile of hay and lays down. Moreena climbed onto the bed and slowly leans back. It barely felt like a bed at all. She can feel the metal frame through the thin mattress. The pillow seemed to be lacking any fluff and there were no blankets in sight.

"Pleasant dreams, skugs," the Falleen snickered nastily and slammed the door closed, leaving them in the dark.

 **Ghost- The docking bay of Stobar**

Kanan and Ezra made it back to the Ghost at the docking bay. When they entered the break room, they've found the others were waiting for them.

"Welcome back, boys," greeted Sabine, giving a smile of relief.

"How'd it go this time?" Hera anxiously asked.

"Moreena's in the facility," Kanan answered, "Carnage seemed to take a liking to her."

"That's good to hear," said Hera, smiling.

"Wa-waah! (translation: Yippee!)," cheered Chopper, both apathetic and sincerely.

"I knew I've done a good job on Mo,"said Sabine, giving a cocky smile.

"Looks like this is gonna be a breeze," said Zeb, grinning, leaning back and resting his head on his arms, "Everything's going according to plan. Nothing can go wrong."

"Not exactly, Zeb," said Kanan, biting his lips.

"Huh?" Zeb looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Sabine.

"We got a problem" Kanan informed, "Cad Bane is here and he's working for Carnage."

Everyone in the room, including Chopper gasped. Zeb nearly fell off his seat, Hera nearly nearly covered her mouth and Sabine eyes widened.

"Wa-wa-wa-waaah! Wa-wa-wa-waaah!" Chopper beeped with dread.

"That's not good," said Hera, shaking her head.

"Please tell me you're kidding," begged Zeb, wishing this was a joke.

"I'm afraid he's not kidding Zeb," said Ezra, shaking his head, "I saw Bane too. By the way, who is Bane anyway?"

"Cad Bane is like the most notorious bounty hunter ever," Sabine explained, "He is also most feared too. He became a criminal during the Clone Wars after he held the Republic Senate hostage. He most known for capturing his targets dead _or_ alive. He even killed a couple of jedis."

"Wait, how do you know this?" inquired Kanan, "You've met the guy?"

"First of all, everybody heard about him," Sabine explained, "Secondly, I haven't exactly met him in person. I mean I did run into him a couple of times during my bounty hunting days. Although, we never actually talked."

"Ah, Karabast!" Zeb wailed, flinging his arms in the air. "We're doomed!

"What are we going to do now?" asked Hera.

Kanan was quiet for a moment, thinking. Everyone waited for an answer. Finally Kanan spoke.

"We proceed as plan," answered Kanan, "I know things just got complicated when Bane showed up, but we've come this far, we can't give up just now. From here on out, we play it cool but be extremely careful we don't slip up. There's a good chance Bane may get suspicious on us and possibly follow us here. Therefore, it's not a good idea to return here all the time. Ezra and I may have to rent a motel room for the time being. We shall inform Moreena tonight."

"I'm gonna miss you guys around here," said Zeb.

"You may have to leave the planet for further precautions," Kanan added.

"We'll do that," responded Hera, "Just be careful, okay."

"We will," assured Kanan, giving Hera an assuring smile. He turned his head to Ezra. "We'd better go get some sleep. We have a long night ahead of us."

"Right," acknowledged Ezra.

Kanan and Ezra left the room to their cabins. Ezra climbed up to his top bunk and laid there for twenty minutes, staring at the ceiling. His mind clouded with thought of Moreena. _I sure do hope Moreena's doing okay_ , Ezra thought. Then he closed his eyes for thirty more minutes, slowly descending into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**You're probably wondering why did I changed the rating to T. That's because I didn't realize that things may get a little violent as the story progresses. It won't be pretty graphic but there may be some blood later on and characters get mildly wounded. Any who, enjoy chapter seven.**

Chapter Seven

 **Blood Moon- Stobar**

Moreena laid in her bed curled up in a fetal position, trying to stay warm. She can still hear the screaming Twi'leks inside her head. How she had wished she had done something to help those poor Twi'leks. She felt a tear streamed out of her eye. Suddenly, Moreena was woken up by the sounds of a door opening and someone tumbling down the stairs. After they tumbled to the bottom of the stairs, the door closed again.

Moreena gets up and starts making her way to where the sound had come from, being careful not to step on anyone. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. When she got to the foot of the stairs, her eyes widened. She recognized the same Twi'leks from before; they seemed to be in pain. Moreena heard someone coming up behind her.

"DAESHA!" gasped Feyona, running to the green Twi'lek's side.

"Are you two alright?" Moreena asked, kneeling to the blue Twi'lek's side. But when she laced her hand on her back, she felt something wet and raw. She pulled her hand back and saw dark thick substance. She looked back and saw that both the Twi'leks' backs are covered with bleeding lashes.

"Here, come with me," commanded Moreena, helping the blue Twi'lek up.

"I'm fine," protested the green Twi'lek, shrugging her shoulder from Feyona's hand.

"No, you're not," argued Moreena, "You're gravely injured; those wounds need to be treated. If you don't see to it, it'll get infected. Please let me help you."

"I think you should listen to her," Feyona told the green Twi'lek, "She may know what to do." The green Twi'lek glared at Feyona but her face softened.

"Fine," sighed the green Twi'lek.

Feyon helped the green Twi'lek up her feet; Moreena and Feyona lead the Twi'leks to the water pump. Moreena gently set the blue Twi'lek down, grabbed a bowl and pumped water into the bowl. She turned to the other girls who are crowding around them.

"Does anyone have a couple of cloths I can use?" Moreena asked them. They were all quiet and stood still until a pink Twi'lek came up.

"I do," said the pink Twi'lek, tearing a couple of small pieces of cloths from her red loin cloth and gives them to Moreena.

"Thank you," said Moreena, taking the cloths and gave one to Feyona. Everyone else returned to their cots.

She dipped the cloth into the bowl until it is completely wet. She gently squeezed it- being careful not to squeeze all of the water out- and began to lightly rub it over the lashes on the blue Twi'lek's back. Feyona mimicked her on the green Twi'lek. Each time the cloth gets completely absorbed with blood, Moreena placed them in the water to rinse the blood out. Both the Twi'leks seethed in pain everytime the cloth touches their raw skin. Over half an hour had passed and half of each of the Twi'leks' back are clean from blood.

"Where did you learn to do this?" asked a curious Feyona.

"Oh…uh…Hondo taught me first aid while I was serving him," Moreena lied.

"Your former slave owner taught you, a slave girl, about first aid?" inquired the blue Twi'lek.

"Uh-huh," Moreena continued to lie, "He may be my master, but that doesn't mean he's completely careless about my well-being."

"You must be so lucky to come from such a nice master," commented Feyona.

"Yeah, but he was still a bit of a jerk," Moreena added to her lie. The older Twi'lek was silent during the whole conversation, glaring to the ground.

"Why are you helping us?" asked the green Twi'lek. Moreena was confused with that quetion.

"Why do you ask?" questioned Moreena, "There's no reason why we can't help one another, right?"

"I guess not," the green Twi'lek bluntly answered, "Ow!"

"Sorry," Feyona squeaked, taking the cloth away from the skin for the second and continued to lightly dab the cut.

"So, out of curiosity, where were you going when you two tried to escape?" inquired Moreena. "There's gotta' be more that just freedom, right?" The Twi'lek glanced to Moreena.

"To Ryloth," answered the green Twi'lek, "My sister and I were taken from our home when we were small 've bounced from slave owner to slave owner a couple of times until eventually, we ended up here, in the hands of the dreaded Carnage."

"How long have you two been here?" asked Moreena.

"Long enough," grunted the green Twi'lek and then seethed in pain when the cloth touched the sensitive part of raw skin.

"I was here for a couple of years," Feyona chimed in.

"And you've been trying to escape ever since you got here?" inquired Moreena.

"Uh-huh," answered the blue Twi'lek.

"Why couldn't you just wait until someone comes and rescue you?" asked Moreena.

"You really think someone will come for us?" inquired the blue Twi'lek, slightly hopeful.

"I know it," answered Moreena.

"I hope it's soon," Feyona hoped.

"Sure, what a great idea," the green Twi'lek sarcastically mocked her, "Why don't we all just sit back and get kicked around like dirt by the slimy Zygerrian until someone come get us in, hmm, I don't know… NEVER!"

"What's with the attitude?" scolded Moreena, slightly annoyed, "How can you even talk like that"

"Quiet down there!" The Falleen yelled through the door, banging on it. The girls twitched and lowered their voices.

"Why do you think no one will ever come?" Moreena demanded.

"Because nobody cares about us anymore," explained the green Twi'lek, "Ever since the rise of the Empire, everybody just drops everything and forgets about the enslaved ones. That's when we realized that we're on our own. No matter how much I plead for help, nobody did anything about it. Who would risk their lives to save a few skugs that we are. Face it, no one will ever come for us; we'll always be slaves to people like Carnage."

"She has a point," the blue Twi'lek sadly agreed, "This madness will never end."

"We'll never go home," Feyona tearfully added.

"What home do we have?" the green Twi'lek questioned Feyona, "The Empire took everything from us… including our family."

Moreena bit her lip and thought for a moment. She knows what's it like to lose something to the Empire. She remembered the time when the Empire took away her family's farm. She became upset when they had to leave the planet she was born and grew up in. So many memories were left behind, including a close friend of hers. _Ezra_ , thought Moreena.

"Perhaps," said Moreena, "But not everything."

"What do you mean?" asked the green Twi'lek.

"I've lost things to the Empire too," explained Moreena, "I thought they've taken everything from me, but then I realized that there's one thing they haven't taken."

"What's that?" inquired the blue Twi'lek.

"Hope," Moreena answered, smiling gently, "Even though I'm just a slave girl, I still have hope. Someone will come for us."

"How do know that?" asked the green Twi'lek.

"I don't need a reason to hope," Moreena simply answered, "It just gives you a reason to live."

The Twi'lek's eyebrows lifted and thought to herself. _Reason to live, huh?_ She thought. Moreena and Feyona finished cleaning off the blood, placed the filthy cloths down and Moreena dumped the bloody water down the drain.

"Well, this ought to do it, for now," said Moreena, looking at the Twi'leks, "Try not to lay on your backs while you sleep."

"Thank you," said the blue Twi'lek, humbly.

"No problem," acknowledged Moreena, "My name's Moreena, by the way."

"I'm Tann," greeted the blue Twi'lek, shaking her hand with Moreena's.

"...Daesha," the green Twi'lek introduced herself.

"Why don't you take my bed," Moreena offered the Twi'leks.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Tann.

"I insist," Moreena gently commended.

"Okay," Tann answered, sheepishly smiled.

"You go ahead and take the bed," Daesha told Tann, "I'll be fine on the hay."

"Okay, Daesha," replied Tann and climbed onto the bed. She took Moreena's advice by laying on her stomach. Daesha turned her eyes from her younger sister to Moreena.

"...Thanks," she spoke.

Moreena turned to Daesha. Although she was met with a dour face, Moreena gave a smile in return. Daesha walked past Moreena and laid down on a pile of hay that's right next to Tann on her stomach. Moreena searched for an empty cot until Feyona scooted over to share her bed with Moreena. Moreena thanked her with a smile and lays down next to her. _Well, at least the hay is much warmer than the bed_ , thought Moreena, cuddling into a fetal position once again, _Don't worry, my friends, as soon as I complete this mission, I'll come back for you. Only next time with help._


	8. Chapter 8

**Just so you know, Chapter 8 and 9 are going to take place at the same time.**

Chapter Eight

When nighttime(in Stobar's standard) happened, Kanan and Ezra were hiding out in the alleyway. Kanan peered around the wall and saw a Nautolaun approached the Falleen bouncer. The bouncer demanded for his ID, which the Nautolaun did and showed it to him. The Falleen checked it and lets the Nautolan in. Kanan moved away from the corner and turned back to Ezra.

"I'm guessing we're not using the front door again," guessed Ezra.

"Not without an ID," said Kanan, pulling out his comlink, "Moreena, can you find a way for us to sneak inside?"

Inside _The Blood Moon_ , Moreena was in the backstage, watching the slaves dancing on stage. Then she crept away creeping and reached for her earring com and activated it.

"Let me see," she responded, beginning to search around the backstage.

She came across a metal door that reads EXIT. _This must lead outside,_ thought Moreena, but before she can open it, she noticed something else. The door seems to have an electromagnetic mechanism attached to it, with lights blinking on and off. Moreena reached up to the metal collar around her neck. _So this is what is for_ , thought Moreena, reaching for her earring com again.

"I found a way in, but there's a problem," Moreena reported.

"What is it?" asked Kanan.

"This door seems to have an electromagnetic system on it," informed Moreena, "Apparently this collar is rigged with a microchip that can trigger the alarm. If I walked through that door the system will go off and Carnage will notice."

"Stay put," ordered Kanan, "Will be right there."

Kanan puts away the comlink and started to search for the door with Ezra following him. They found the door Moreena was talking about. They climbed up the stairs and stood before the door. Kanan closed his eyes and lifted his hand towards the door, focusing on the security system. Using the force, Kanan was able to temporarily deactivate the system. When Moreena saw the system turned off, she took the opportunity and quickly opened the doors. Kanan and Ezra then jumped inside as soon as the door opened. They sneaked up on the upper level in the hallway. Kanan looked arouond the corner of the hallway to make sure there is nobody there. Then he turned to the teenagers.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna' do," Kanan began, "As soon as Carnage leaves his office, you two need to sneak inside and obtain the information that tells us where the missing girls are. I'll be at the bar on the second level keeping an eye on him. I'll let you know if Carnage is on his way back."

"We'll be quick," said trio splits up with Kanan heading to the bar and Ezra and Moreena to Carnage's office.

Ezra and Moreena are hiding underneath the stairs, waiting for Carnage to leave. Not too long, they immediately saw a pair of Carnage's feet climbing downstairs. As soon as Carnage is off the stairs and away, Ezra and Moreena hurried upstairs. When they got to the hallway that leads to Carnage's office, they peered around the corner and saw a guard blocking the entrance.

"How are we gonna get inside?" asked Moreena.

"Leave it to me," said Ezra, "I'm gonna use jedi mind tricks to get him to leave."

"Have you done this before?" asked Moreena.

"Once, actually," Ezra hesitantly answered, causing Moreena to bit her bottom lip and crossed her fingers. Ezra cleared his throat, raised his hand towards the guard while staying out of sight and chanted, "You're going to take a break because you want to."

The guard turned his head and started making his way down the hall. But when they thought that it worked, the guard stopped right in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" demanded the guard, "This area is off-limits!"

"Um, you're going to take a break because you want to," Ezra shakily chanted. Moreena cowered behind Ezra.

"What do you think you're doing?" the guard demanded again, "Whatever you're doing, stop that!"

"You're going to take a break because you want to," Ezra chanted, a little more louder.

"I'm warning you!" sneered the guard, gritting his teeth.

"You're going to take a break because you want to!" Ezra chanted for the final time. The guard stood still for a moment still have that death glare on his face. Moreena peered around Ezra's shoulder. Suddenly the guard's face shifted into a blank face and stood up straight.

"I'm...going...to take a break because... I want to," the guard slurred and shuffled out of the hallway. Ezra and Moreena both sighed in relief.

"Not bad," praised Moreena, grinning at Ezra.

"Thank you," acknowledged Ezra, grinning back.

Without wasting any time, they hurried inside Carnage's office. Once they're inside, they make their way to Carnage's desk. Moreena sat on the chair while Ezra stood over her took a quick glance out the window, _I can see why_ _Carnage chose to have his office above the chandelier,_ thought Ezra, _The view is actually fantastic._ Ezra turned away from the window and pulled up the comlink.

"How's it going Kanan?" asked Ezra.

"Carnage is at his booth talking with a Nemoidian," Kanan replied, "But be quick. I don't know how long he'll be there."

"Will do," Ezra answered, and deactivated his comlink.

Moreena turned on the hologram screen and the screen appeared. On the flashing screen were four different files; each of them are labeled SLAVES, MAP, SHIPMENT and reached into his pocket, pulled out a hard-drive and handed it to Moreena. Moreena plugged it onto the holo-computer and clicked on the file that read SLAVES. Once she did that, a list appeared before them. Both their eyes widened when they see how long the list was.

"Aw, man," gasped Ezra, "How many slaves does he have?"

"Currently or previously?" asked Moreena.

"All together," answered Ezra.

"Albeit over a hundred at least," Moreena guessed.

They review over the list; it contained four columns. The first column contained the names of slaves that Carnage either has them or used to. The second column has different colored dots: red, green, clear and yellow. The third one tells the date they were received and the fourth one tells when were they sold.

"Apparently the red dot means that he longer has them," Ezra pointed out, "The green one means he currently has them. But I'm curious: what does the yellow and clear dots mean?"

"Not sure," said Moreena, clicking on another file. On the next file showed a list of slaves that had a yellow dot right next to their names. She clicked on the icon that shows only the names that has a yellow dot next to them. The list appeared onscreen and Ezra scanned it.

"I think I now know what the yellow dot means: It's an auction," Ezra analyzed, his eyes glancing to the date of the auction, "They're being put on auction next week."

Moreena looked back at the list of girls who are on the list and grimaced when she saw Tann's name on the list. That sweet little Twi'lek who is about to be separated from her sister. _How am I going to explain to Daesha?_ She wondered, as she began to download the information. Moreena brings up the list of names of the twelve missing Twi'leks and reviewed them. She shooked her head.

"None of them are on the list," Moreena confirmed, "Not even on the green list, otherwise I would've recognized one of them. And there's no way he'd sold them already, it's too soon."

"The only mark there is left are the clear ones," said Ezra.

"So we know that green means they're here, red means they've been sold and yellow means they're about to be sold," Moreena explained, "But we still have no idea what the clear dots means. What could it possibly mean?"

"No idea," said Ezra, then he raised an eyebrow.

The hard drive finished downloading the information and Moreena glanced at the folder that read MAP. She narrowed her eyes, _No, I can't let this happen._ She proceeded to open the floor map of the building. The building model appeared and Moreena downloaded it into the file.

"Why are we downloading this one?" asked Ezra.

"You're going to need this when you rescue everyone," Moreena explained, not looking up at him.

Ezra raised an eyebrow. _Everyone? What does she mean by everyone? She doesn't mean the girls, they're not here. Unless…_

"Moreena, you do realize that none of them are here, right?" Ezra reminded her.

"I know they're not here," Moreena explained, looking up at him, "But there's still people who needs rescuing."

"Mo, our mission is to rescue the girls that were kidnapped from Ryloth," Ezra argued, "We can't include everyone else who's been trapped here, it's too risky."

"So is leaving them behind," Moreena argued back.

"Why are you so worked up about this?" he demanded.

"Because," Moreena sighed, looking down, "There's this girl named Daesha. She has a sister and they've stayed together for a long time. When I saw her sister's name on the list to be sold and I knew that Daesha would be devastated about it.

Ezra lifted his eyebrows and listened carefully to her.

"Not only that," she continued, "But it's also because I told her that someone will come rescue them."

"Why would you say that to her?" Ezra gently asked her.

"Because she thought no one cares about them," She continued explaining, "That no one will come for them. Which is why we have to come back for them as soon as we rescue the twelve girls."

"Mo, your heart is in the right place," said Ezra, kneeling down so that he's on the same level as her, "But you shouldn't make a promise you can't keep."

"Ezra, please," Moreena begged, looking up at him, "They've already lost everything they had. They actually believed everything I've said. Don't let these words I've told them be in vain."

Ezra looked into Moreena's eyes. He closed his eyes, drew in a breath and sighed.

"Alright," sighed Ezra, "I'll talk to Kanan and we'll see."

Moreena smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Ezra froze, stared into space with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. He then smiled and hugged her back. Suddenly they heard a loud bang that sounded like a blaster followed by screams. Ezra and Moreena drew away from each other annd turned to the window. Ezra gets up and ran to the window to peer through it. It was hard to make out with the chandelier in the way. The only thing he can see is a crowd of people gathering around what looks like a dead body. Then they seemed to went back to what they were doing as if nothing happened.

"What was that!?" yelled Moreena, standing up.

"Apparently somebody just died from what appears to be a gunfight," Ezra told Moreena, "A brief one that is."

"A gunfight!?" Moreena gasped, "Did you see who shot him?"

"No I can't see through the chandelier," Ezra answered, "But I do see a couple of men dragging the dead Rodian away."

"I sure do hope they notify the Rodian's family about it," Moreena regarded.

"Actually, everyone seemed unfazed about it," said Ezra,"Apparently they get this sort thing plenty of time."

"What a surprise," Moreena sarcastically remarked.

"We'd better get of here," suggested Ezra, making his way to the door.

Ezra stopped in the middle of the room and turned around to find Moreena still standing before the desk, looking at something on the screen. She was eyeing at the last two files, SHIPMENT and STORAGE Ezra walked back to her.

"Aren't you coming?" invoked Ezra.

"We can't leave just yet," said Moreena.

"What?" keened Ezra.

"We haven't checked these files," Moreena explained. Ezra walked over to where Moreena was standing and looked at the last two files. He shooked his head.

"Moreena we don't have time for this," said Ezra, "Carnage could be heading back."

"But these files could hold clues on where they might be," protested Moreena.

"We'll come back some other time," said Ezra.

"When?" argued Moreena, "We may never get another chance. Wouldn't you get as much information as you can to save others? Besides, Kanan said that they'll alert us if Carnage is on his way."

"Fine," sighed Ezra, "But make it quick."

Moreena sat back down and clicked on the SHIPMENT file, only to be blocked by a block that read ENTER PASSWORD. Both Ezra and Moreena lifted an eyebrow. Moreena thought of a possible password. _Perhaps it's his homeworld_ , she thought while typing down ZYGERRIA. However, the block replied with INCORRECT PASSWORD. She tried it on STORAGE, but with the same results. _Why would Carnage have both these files locked_ , Ezra wondered. Suddenly Ezra hears his comlink beeping. He reached for his belt and held it up towards his face.

"What is it, Kanan?" asked Ezra.

"Ezra, Carnage is on his way back," Kanan warned him.

"What!?" the two teenagers yelled.

"You two need to get of there, NOW!" commanded Kanan.

Moreena frantically turned off the hologram screen while Ezra yanked the hard drive from the desk. They started to make a run for it, but before they can reach for the door, they heard voices. The only voice they recognize belonged to Carnage and he's a couple of feet close.

"Oh, Karabast," Ezra cursed, "We're trapped!" Moreena quickly think for a second and looked at Ezra seriously.

"Maybe not," said Moreena.

"Huh?"

Without warning, Moreena shoved Ezra onto the sofa, climbed on top of him, moved his helmet from his head and pressed her lips against his. Ezra's eyes widened, his face turned red and he felt his mind explode. He can feel his heart pounding against his chest. A split second later, Ezra realized what she is doing, closed his eyes and kissed her back. Carnage, Bane, and a Neimoidian merchant walked in only to stop on the spot when they saw two teenagers, completely flabbergasted.

"Whoa-ho-ho, are we interrupting something," hooted Bane. Ezra and Moreena looked up at the group of men.

"What kind of business do you run here?" the Neimoidian pressed.

"What are you two doing here?" demanded Carnage, his eyebrows knitting down and resting his fists on his hips. Ezra and Moreena gets off the sofa and faced an angry Zygerrian, whose eyes glared at Moreena. "I thought I told you this place is off limits unless I say so."

"Oh-um-uh…," Moreena struggled to answer coming up with a good reason. Seeing Moreena can't come up with something. Ezra stepped in.

"It was my idea," Ezra claimed, "I persuaded her that we go somewhere private." Carnage glanced at Ezra and walked up to him.

"Who are you?" demanded Carnage, his eyes pierced onto Ezra. Ezra quickly thought for a moment and spoke.

"Clyde Youngblood," Ezra told the Zygerrian.

"Well then, Youngblood, how did you get passed security," the Zygerrian interrogated, "I had a guard blocking my office when I left."

"He must've felt like taking a break," Ezra lied. Carnage lifted an eyebrow. Ezra and Moreena both felt their heart slowly pounding, hoping he bought Ezra's lie.

"I'm going to have a word with him later," said Carnage.

"So we're free to go?" squeaked Moreena.

"Yes," answered Carnage.

Ezra and Moreena both sighed in relief, thinking they're off the hook. Ezra grabbed his helmet and started to leave along with Moreena. However, Carnage stopped them on their trail. He glared at Ezra first.

"But I better not see you again," Carnage added. Ezra eyes stared at him wide-eyed. _Did he just banished me?_ He thought, but he kept quiet. Carnage turned to Moreena.

"And you," he hissed, "I've warned you to stay out of my office and yet you disobeyed me. You're off to a bad start, young lady. Two more strikes, and I won't be so merciful, do you understand me this time?"

"Yes, sir," acknowledged Moreena.

"Good," Carnage hissed.

Finally they released them and the teenagers left the office. They remained quiet as they walked down the hallway. Ezra glanced at Moreena, who looked hurt.

"Mo," Moreena looked up at Ezra, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Moreena assured him, giving him a gentle smile, "It's my fault, I got a little careless. Sorry that I got you off guard with that kiss. It was the first thing that popped in my head. It didn't freak you out did it?"

"No, of course not," Ezra quickly replied, slightly blushing, "I was shocked at first, but then I figured out what were you doing." He pulled out his comlink and lifted up to his face.

"Kanan, we got out of there, safely," Ezra spoke to the comlink.

"Good," Kanan responded, "Meet me back at the hallway."

"We'll be there," Ezra replied, puts the colink away and looked at Moreena, "Let's go."

Moreena nodded and they make their way to their destination.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

After Ezra and Moreena had left to search Carnage's office, Kanan was at the bar at the second level. He saw Carnage making his way to second floor where his personal booth that is at the other end from the stage. When he got there, he sat there for a while. _Who is he waiting for?_ He wondered. Kanan heard his comlink beeped. He turned around towards the bar table and hunched over before answering it.

"How's it going Kanan?" called Ezra.

"Carnage is at his booth waiting for someone," Kanan replied, "But be quick. I don't know how long he'll be there."

"Will do," Ezra answered, and deactivated his comlink.

He continued to watch the Zygerrian waiting for someone until that someone showed up. Kanan recognized a short, stout and red alien with stubby arms and legs who shook hands with Carnage and sat down with him. _Azmorigan?,_ thought Kanan, _Why would Carnage be talking with this low life_? _More importantly, What's Azmorigan even doing here? I don't even want to know._ He ordered a drink while he kept his eye on the two men who seemed to be talking for a long time. _What are they talking about?_ He wondered.

"Hello there."

Kanan jumped, turned around and saw the person who just talked to him: Cad Bane. Todo 360 was with him. Kanan swallowed and stiffened. _You've got to be kidding,_ thought Kanan.

"You're the guy that was with Hondo," said Bane.

Kanan pulled himself together and said,"Oh, I'm surprised that you even remember me,"

"Of course I remember you," replied Bane, "How could I forget someone who seems to idolize me."

"Right," said Kanan, forcing a smile.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Bane requested.

"Uh…," Kanan hesitated at first but said, "No, go ahead."

Bane took a seat right next to Kanan, blocking his view on Carnage. The little droid sat on the other side of his owner. He ordered a drink and says nothing afterwards. _Oh, perfect_ , Kanan complained in his head, _I'm sitting right next to a bloodthirsty bounty hunter that's blocking my sight on Carnage. It's bad enough that he's here working with that pedophile. Now I have to deal with this guy!? How could it any worse?_ A drunk rodian wobbled past them, crudely singing "Light of Hope". When the bartender returned with Bane's drink, Bane pulled out a small bottle out of his belt and poured something on to his his hand. A small white pill landed on his hand and Bane popped it into his mouth, washing down with his drink. Bane glanced at Kanan and raised the bottle towards Kanan.

"Aspirin?" he offered.

Kanan relaxed after finding out it's only aspirin. Come to think of it, all the noises in this building is giving him a splitting headache. Kanan nodded and held up his hand, which Bane poured the pill on. After Kanan swallowed it, the pair were silence again. Finally, Bane was the one who broke the silence.

"What's your name?" asked Bane, glancing to Kanan.

"Huh?"

"Your name," Bane repeated, "Or am I gonna have to call you Captain Eyepatch?"

"It's Kyle Stoneheart actually," Kanan lied.

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Stoneheart," Bane greeted, casually shaking hands with Kanan, "Are you a bounty hunter?"

Kanan pursed his lips and gone quiet. _Oh, karabast,_ thought Kanan, _He's not gonna go away is he? If I get in a conversation with him, I'll lose focus on Carnage. But if I don't, he'll get suspicious. Well, if that's the case, Kanan, don't just sit there like an idiot. Better come up with something!_ Kanan glanced past Bane's shoulder and saw Carnage still talking with Azmorigan. Then he looked back at Bane who waited patiently for him to answer.

"Why yes I am," Kanan continued to deceive, "How did you know?"

"I can easily tell a bounty hunter when I see one," Bane explained.

Kanan and Bane continued talking casually the whole time while Ezra and Moreena looked for clues. They talked about their bounty hunting days, dilemmas they end up facing and how difficult their prey was. Bane mentioned the time when he used Todo as a diversion when he broke into a jedi temple by planting a bomb on him. Todo freaked out when he realized that it was Bane who put the bomb on him. Kanan made sure to keep an eye on Carnage, who is still there, while having a conversation with the Duro. He also found himself growing comfortable around Bane, completely forgotten why he was so afraid of him. _Who knew pretending to be a bounty hunter can be so much fun_ , thought Kanan.

"How did you end up here in this nuthouse, babysitting some slaves?" asked Kanan.

"I don't know," said Bane, "Just bored I guess. Things just aren't as exciting as the time of the Clone Wars. No Republicains to tick off. And of course no Jedi to hunt."

"What about hunting some Rebels?" Kanan obliviously suggested, "It's just as fun as catching jedis." Kanan twitched when he said that, _Oh my stars! What did I say!?_

"I've been doing those a few times but it's not the same," said Bane, "But I have something else in mind. Something everyone thinks they're extinct."

"Really? And what's that?" Kanan inquired, lifting his cup towards his lips. Bane raised a slight close-lipped smile and slowly leaned towards Kanan's ears. Kanan became uncomfortable when he got close to his face.

"Jedis," he whispered.

Kanan's uncovered eye widened and nearly choked on his drink, but was able to swallow it down. He placed his cup down and looked at Bane, who has that grin on his face. He clutched onto the cup so tightly. _Okay, now I remember why I'm so scared of him,_ he thought, _Just stay calm._

"Um, I'm pretty sure the Empire had erradicated all the Jedis across the galaxy," Kanan chuckled.

"Or so they thought," Bane contended, turning towards the bar table and sipping his cup, "But when I heard the incident on Lothal saying something about Jedis being involved, that's when I realized that there are still a number of them hiding throughout the galaxy. Apparently they're with the rebels this whole time. You know, this one time when I interfered with one of their messages with this so called Fulcrum, I don't know why but there's something familiar with that guy."

"Who?" asked Kanan,all of a sudden curious.

Before Bane could answer, the same drunk Rodian wobbled by them again only this time fell on them and went from singing to squaking. Kanan, annoyed, shoved the Rodian off him and onto the railing. Bane glared at the Rodian and rolled his . Kanan noticed throbbing veins in Bane's temple and his hand clenching onto cup like he's about to crush it. Finally, without, turning around, he rolled his eyes, calmly pulling out his blaster and shoots the Rodian. The Rodian's body fell over the railing and landed on the table down below.

Kanan gasped, ran over to the railing and peered over it where he see the lifeless body being surrounded by a crowd of people. Then they all just shrugged and continued as if nothing happened. Kanan returned to his seat and crinkled his nose at Bane, who simply blows the smoke off his blaster and casually replaced it on his holster. Bane noticed that Kanan was glaring at him.

"What? He was getting on my nerve," said Bane.

"Was that really necessary?" Kanan scolded him.

"I don't hear anyone complaining," Bane pointed out.

"Good point," Kanan admitted, pressing his lips together while mentally calling him, _psychopath_ , "So who does Fulcrum remind you of?"

"That's the thing," Bane answered, "He sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on it. One of these days I'm gonna find out who Fulcrum really is."

"Well, good luck with that," said Kanan, "Fulcrum's a slippery guy thus never gets captured. At least that's what I heard."

"Not for long," contrared Bane, "There isn't anything that can escape my grasp."

"Well, there was one time when someone got to Ziro the Hutt before us and killed him," Todo alluded, "And there was the time when the plan to kidnap Palpatine in Naboo failed and you got arrested."

"Shut up!" Bane snapped at the droid, "Anyway, hunting down jedis along with rebels and solving the mystery of Fulcrum. This is going to be fun. Maybe even better."

A Zygerrian guard walked up to Bane and whispered to his ear. Then he walked past Kanan and left. Kanan watched the Zygerrian leave and looked at Bane who is leaving a few credits on the bar and gets up.

"What is it?" asked Kanan.

"Carnage wants to talk to me in his office," Bane explained.

Kanan heart jumped and peered around Bane. Carnage and Azmorigan are now leaving the booth! _Oh, karabast! I was supposed to be was supposed to be watching him!_ Thought Kanan.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Stoneheart," said Bane, "We'll meet again. Oh, and by the way," Bane leans towards Kanan and flicked his finger on the brim of Kanan's hat, "Hats are my thing," he leaves. Todo flies up to Kanan.

"You have a nice night," said Todo, and flies off.

"Bye," said Kanan.

As soon as they were gone, Kanan quickly looked over the railing and searched the crowd. He spotted Carnage making his way through the crowd, halfway to the other side. Kanan zipped out of the bar but not before paying for his drink. When he got to an empty hallway and made sure it was clear, he pulled up his comlink and contacted Ezra.

"What is it, Kanan?" Ezra responded.

"Ezra, Carnage is on his way back," Kanan warned him.

"What!?" the two teenagers yelled through the commlink.

"You two need to get of there, NOW!" commanded Kanan.

Kanan waited anxiously in the hallway. How could he be so careless? He was supposed to be keeping an eye out for Carnage so that he can give them a heads up. It wasn't that hard. He should've known that he was going run into Bane. Had Bane not shown up and bother him, he would've been able to warn the kids on time. _I hope they got out of there alright,_ he thought, _Who knows what Carnage will do when he finds out that Moreena is a spy and that they were with the rebels. I wonder how Bane will react when he learns I was a part of this._ Kanan shuddered at the thought, _All hell will break loose I suppose. Ezra...Moreena...where are you two?_ Kanan felt his comlink beeping and pressed a button on it.

"Kanan, we got out of there, safely," Ezra spoke to the comlink.

"Good," Kanan sighed in relief, "Meet me back at the hallway."

"We'll be there," Ezra replied and comlink goes off.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

After Carnage had sent the two teenagers away, he walked over to his desk and takes a seat as did Azmorigan. Bane only took a seat on one of the sofas with Todo sitting next to him.

"Now let's get down to business," said Carnage.

"Yes, let's shall," agreed Azmorigan, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a disk.

Carnage took the disk from Azmorigan and plugged it to his desk. A hologram appeared in the air before him, containing a list of slaves. He scrolled through the list from the side while carefully reviewing each and every one of them. He stopped on the image of an orange Twi'lek with black stripes and a crown of tiny horns poking out of her skull.

"My, what an interesting species," remarked Carnage.

"Oh, yes," agreed Azmorigan, "This woman is a crossbreed of a Twi'lek and a Dathomirian Zarbrak. She has the grace of a Twi'lek and the ferocity of a Zarbrak."

"Sounds like a mighty fine woman," commented Bane, looking with interest.

"Yes, I suppose," said Carnage, "She seems appropriate for the auction. This is quite and exotic collection you have there, Azmorigan… Not that I'm impressed."

"Indeed," sneered Azmorigan," Anyway, will she be there?"

"I've told you, your slaves will be at the auction in a couple of weeks," Carnage reminded him.

"I'm not talking about them," said Azmorigan, "I'm talking about the red-haired human girl. What's her name? Maria is it?" Carnage's eyes widened with realization.

"Moreena Krai," Carnage corrected him, "What about her?"

"I would like to buy her at the auction," Azmorigan frankly answered.

"What?"

"After I've heard her sing last night, I've completely fallen head over heels for her singing," explained Azmorigan, "So I want to buy her from you so that I can hear her angelic voice all the time. So I'll be happy to get her out your hair. What do you say? I'll pay you twice the pricee you've paid for her."

Carnage looked at Azmorigan quietly and glanced down at his desk. The whole room remained quiet for a long time with Azmorigan slowly losing his patience. Finally Carnage looked back up at him.

"Well?"

"She's not for auction," Carnage answered. Azmorigan's grin dropped.

"What? Why not?" wailed Azmorigan, "Are you really going to keep her after she breaks the rules on her first day?"

"She only broke one rule," said Carnage, "She'll learn to improve and besides, I don't make hasty decisions."

"But-But-" stammered Azmorigan, struggling to find another way.

"If you want to hear Moreena sing all the time, be sure to come by the Blood Moon regularly," dismissed Carnage.

"No, I shall not become your regular," snapped Azmorigan, leaping to her feet, "In fact, I won't be coming back here ever again. Unless you sell me Moreena Krai, I will take my business elsewhere!"

Carnage kept a straight face as Azmorigan glared at him, huffing and puffing. Bane sat there watching casually. Todo wondered who would win the argument. A smirk crept onto Carnage's face and he waved his arms into the air.

"Go ahead," chuckled Carnage, "Take your business elsewhere. I wouldn't mind at all. Do you really think this idle threat will get me to change my mind?"

Azmorigan's eyes widened at the response. Then he huffed and clenched his fists so tight, his fingernails dug into his skin. Finally with a grunt, he threw his hands down and turns to leave.

"Perhaps, I'll see you at the auction?" called Carnage. Azmorigan paused at the doorway and glared at him.

"Of course," he hissed and crossed through the door. Carnage smirked as he watched his business partner leaves. As soon as he was gone, he looked to Bane who was patiently waiting on the sofa.

"As for you Cad Bane…," he began.

"Why do you need me here for?" asked Bane.

"Please restrain yourself from killing someone at the auction," he said, "I want my guests to feel at home. What you did back there not only roused my visitors, you've also roused my slaves the most."

"Is that all?" inquired Bane, smirking, "You've asked me to come up here just to make sure I behave myself?"

"Not quite," said Carnage, "I also need you on look out along with my security squads, making sure that no one tries to sneak my slaves out or that no one tries to escape. I especially want you to keep an eye on Moreena Krai. There's something suspicious about that girl. She didn't come up here to have some quality time with that boy, it has to be something else."

"I don't think we should worry about that girl," said Todo, "She doesn't seem like a mischief."

"No, Todo, he's right," disagreed Bane, "She look like a sweet girl, but we can't let our guard down. For all we know, she could be planning an escape. Don't worry, Carnage, I'm not taking my eyes off her for one second."

"Nor will I," said Carnage.

Bane gets up and heads for the door with Todo following behind him. He paused midway and turned to Carnage.

"By the way," he spoke, "Why won't you sell the girl? I know you've said she's only made one mistake and that you're not an impulsive man, but there's got to be more than those reasons."

"There's no other reasons," Carnage bluntly answered, "Those are the only reasons."

Bane simply shrugged and continued to leave for the door. As soon as Bane and Todo are gone, Carnage spun around in his chair so that he's facing through the window that leads to the great hall. He stared through the window solemnly into space, thinking to himself.


End file.
